Samsung Electronics unit Harman to acquire ZF Group's driver assistance arm for $1.8B

By Mucahithan Avcioglu

ISTANBUL (AA) - Samsung Electronics announced on Tuesday that it will acquire Germany's ZF Group's autonomous driving technology unit for €1.5 billion ($1.8 billion).

The company said in a statement that the deal will enable Harman, automotive technology and lifestyle audio subsidiary of Samsung, to obtain items and technologies linked to advanced driver assistance systems, including front-facing car cameras and Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) controllers.

"With this acquisition, HARMAN has secured strategic inroads in the ADAS and central compute platforms markets, reinforcing a foundation that anchors and advances its role in the fast-growing software-defined vehicle (SDV) market," Samsung said.

The acquisition supports HARMAN's plan for next-generation vehicle architectures by combining ZF's ADAS capabilities with HARMAN's flagship Digital Cockpit technologies under a centralized compute design.

The company said that the combination lays the groundwork for future central computing solutions that provide safety, automated and assisted driving, and user experiences on a common platform. By simplifying system design, lowering integration complexity, and fostering more effective innovation cycles, HARMAN enables original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) to scale unique, context-aware car experiences.

"With this agreement, we take a strategic step to expand our portfolio with complementary ADAS capabilities that unlock a new class of cross-domain experiences ranging from perception-informed audio cues to more personalized, situation-aware driving," said Harman CEO Christian Sobottka.

"Combined with HARMAN’s long-standing automotive expertise and supported by Samsung’s broader technology leadership, this positions us to help OEMs design the next generation of intelligent, empathetic and connected vehicles," Sobottka added.